Maurizio has a plethora of weapons at his disposal but a limited window of opportunity to get 14 skill position players from 12 different programs on the same page.

"There is so much tremendous talent here but you don't have a lot of time to come in here and install this stuff," said Maurizio, who opened the initial practice for the Middlesex County All-Stars at Sayreville High School on Monday night by installing elements of a multiple pro-style offense.

"My philosophy is just keep it simple. They are athletes. They are all-stars. So the biggest challenge is really don't outthink yourself as a football coach and just realize that you've got some pretty darn good football players and just get them the ball.

"There's an old saying: When you need points, don't trust your plays, trust your playmakers. So we are going to try to figure out who our playmakers are and get them the ball as much as possible. The next few days we'll get a good evaluation of all the kids and see what they can do."

Maurizio and the rest of the coaching staff have just five more practices and one walk through in preparation for the July 17 showdown against Union County at Sayreville High School. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Middlesex County leads the series 12-8 and has won six of the last seven meetings.

All proceeds from the event, which has already raised more than $447,000 since its inception, benefit Children's Specialized Hospital and the Lakeview School, a program of the Edison-based New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.

The Middlesex County offense features quarterback Kyle Moroney of South Plainfield and tailback Matt Olivo of St. Joseph, who led the Greater Middlesex Conference in passing and rushing, respectively, with 1,657 yards through the air and 1,803 yards on the ground.

"To be a part of this team, stacked with good players from all around the county, it's going to be fun," Olivo said. "It's going to be a good show to watch."

Maurizio's offensive scheme will roughly feature four running plays, five or six passing plays and one or two offensive line protections.

"We are going to keep it pretty simple," Middlesex County receivers coach Chris Beagan said. "We'll allow their talent to speak for themselves. It's really going to be based on how well the kids pick up the scheme and what we are able to do in the next two weeks."

The rapid development of the linemen, who come from programs that operate out of an array of formations – form the Wing-T to the spread option – will be integral to Middlesex County's offensive success.

"I truly believe it's going to come down to (line play)," Maurizio said. "We are asking some kids to do some things they are not used to. That's going to be the key to how we develop our team. We'll see what our offensive linemen do well and put our athletes in positions to make plays."

Gifted personnel, which will rotate on and off the field in waves, will likely dictate Maurizio's play-calling.

Moroney, who is more of a pocket passer, will split time behind center with Nick LaVecchia, who ran the option at Old Bridge. The quarterbacks' complementary skill sets could pose problems for Union County's defense.

Middlesex County's running backs are equally diverse. Tailbacks Olivo and Roemello Monroe of South Plainfield (1,101 rushing yards) are downhill runners who proved to be virtually impossible to take down on initial contact.

Bruising fullbacks Dahrae Ford of South Brunswick and Jack Dalrymple of Spotswood are equally effective blocking or carrying the ball.

Kyle Boyer-Tucker of Edison, who is an excellent pass catcher out of the backfield, could pose matchup problems for opposing linebackers who have to respect his playmaking ability.

Wideouts David Betancur of Monroe and Dan Grillo of Old Bridge had 458 and 424 receiving yards, respectively, to rank among the top five in the Greater Middlesex Conference. Mike Viggiano of Bishop Ahr, Dennis Sutton of Perth Amboy and Matt Williams of J.F. Kennedy are equally dangerous receivers.

Among the most unheralded of the skill position players are tight end Peter Domenick of Middlesex and Kyle Kelliher of East Brunswick, who are both expected to play key roles as blockers or pass-catching options.

"We certainly know what these kids are capable of," Beagan said. "We are going to be able to showcase their talents and put them in good positions so they can be successful."

Despite practicing for a total of about 14 hours, Middlesex County will have the ability come game time to show everything from a five-wideout look to a double tight-end set, which will keep Union County's defense guessing.

"It is a short time," said Boyer-Tucker of Middlesex County's period of preparation, "but we are all-stars for a reason. I'm sure we can come together quick."